PALATINE, Ill. (WLS) — A north suburban Catholic elementary has announced it will soon shut down.

The Archdiocese said it was left with no choice but to close St. Thomas of Villanova as enrollment numbers were just not where they needed to be.

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It’s devastating news for many in the community, and parents said there had been substantial fundraising efforts going on recently to keep the Catholic school open.

After 61 years of operating and playing a critical role within the Palatine community, the decision has been made to shut down the St. Thomas of Villanova Catholic School.

Father Kris Janczak issued a statement on the closure this week, saying in part, “Despite solid fundraising efforts, enrollment declined 17% this school year and the school’s projected deficit has doubled and is now insurmountable.”

Families of the school said they feel like they’ve been left in the dark through this decision.

Chris Phipson has a daughter in fourth grade at the school and another who graduated from there.

“It is not a good enough reason to shut it down,” Phipson said. “I know if they would’ve come to us in advance and said, ‘Hey, if we can’t get enough going, then we would have to shut down,’ but it was just out of the blue, ‘Hey we’re doing this whether you want to hear about it or not.'”

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“When I got to high school I felt like I was a top student, because I was prepared for it, and knowing that she won’t get that same preparedness it hurts me,” alum Lily Phipson said.

Now Phipson’s daughter Violet will be forced to move schools.

“I’ve been here since preschool and it’s been amazing,” Violet Phipson said.

The parish said it will help students find their next school, but it’s still a difficult adjustment for the Phipson family.

“Now we have to uproot everything and find a new place to go,” Phipson said. “It’s just devastating”

The Catholic school is known for its diversity and the services it provides to families in need. While the church will continue to provide services and programs, people in the community said it won’t be the same without the school.

That sentiment was shared by Thomas Ksiazek, who had three of his children graduate from St. Thomas of Villanova.

“I’m blown away. I really am, because we have over the years spent time and effort to increase enrollment and we believe the Catholic education and they did a great job with our three kids,” Ksiazek said. “It’s a good education, a good environment, a safe environment, so we’re going to miss that. I think everyone’s going to miss that.”

The school is expected to shut down once the school year ends in May. Father Janczak said the hope is the rest of this school year will serve as a true celebration of the community.